"But sohelpmegod he starts talkin"
Hazel Tells LaVerne
In this poem, Katharyn Howd Machan presents a perfect example of vernacular being used. The vernacular is that of the deep south in America, with "g"s omitted and words strung together. It reminds me of the language used in Their Eyes Were Watching God, which took place in the deep south as well. Occasionally the language got in the way of the readers' understanding of the novel, but it overall created a realistic world that the reader could enter. In this particular poem, I believe the particular vernacular is used not only to create a realistic poem, but to add to the humorous theme. When I read "sohelpmegod", I literally laughed out loud. The language helps the reader imagine the speaker, imagine her jumping and letting out "screams". In my mind, however, the character does fall into the stereotypical southern ma'am, which may or may not be a good thing. It is, I believe, the effect the author was trying to create.
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